Disposable paint brushes and the like



June 25, 1963 A. DALTON 3,094,729

DISPOSABLE PAINT BRUSHES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 16, 1961 INVENTORARTHUR DALTON his ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,094,729 7 DISPOSABLEPAINT BRUSHES AND THE LIKE Arthur Dalton, 100 Westport Drive Pittsburgh38, Pa. Filed Jan. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 82,749 7 Claims. (Cl. 15-.-159)This invention relates to disposable brushes and particularly to paintbrushes assembled in multiple units from which brushes of various sizesmay be readily taken.

The need for a disposable paint brush of variable size has long beenrecognized. Every householder has frequent need for an inexpensive brushof one width or another, which brush may be disposed of when theparticular job at hand is completed. No such brush has been heretoforeavailable.

I have invented a disposable brush which satisfies this need. It isinexpensive and may be of various selected optional widths. Preferably Iprovide handle means of semirigid material folded upon itself inelongated V-shape and serrated transversely of its length to defineseparate divisible units, bristle means bound along one end in acontinuous strip, said bound end adapted to be placed in the open V-endof the handle, means and fastening means engaging the open V-ends aboutthe bound edge to form a single continuous unit. Preferably the handlemeans is corrugated cardboard. The bristle means are preferably paper,which may be treated or impregnated paper, formed by cuttingtransversely layers of paper from one edge to a point spaced from theopposite edge. Alternatively, the bristles may be of nylon or other likefilaments woven at one end into a continuous strip with the opposite endfree to act as bristles or expanded polyurethane and similar elastomers.

In the foregoing general description I have set out certain objects,advantages and purposes of my invention. Other objects, advantages andpurposes of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is an isometric exploded view of a preferred handle unitaccording to my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric View of a bristle unit;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmental isometric view of a complete brush unit;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of a third embodiment; and

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of a bristle unit in which bristles arelayers of filaments woven together along one edge.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated a handle unit 10 made byfolding a cardboard or boxboard strip in the middle along a line 11 andthen folding each side 10a and 10b into the fold 11 to form a V-shapedunit. The unit is then perforated transversely of its length along lines12 to form separable units and each unit is perforated to form a handle13.

A bristle unit 14 which may be of folded paper shredded or slittransverse to one edge is placed in the opening of the V-handle andfastened in place with staples 15 with shredded ends 16 extendingoutwardly to form the bristles. When it is desired to use a brush asingle brush member may be removed by breaking along the perforated line12 and along the perforated lines defining the handle 13. Alternativelythe portion along the perforate lines 13 may be removed at the factory.

In FIGURE 4, I have illustrated still another embodiment in which thehandle unit is formed by folding cardboard upon itself as in the case ofFIGURE 1 to form a handle unit 20. This unit is perforated transverselyalong ice .2 I lines 21. The bristle unit 22 is formed and installed bystaples 23 precisely as in the case of FIGURE 1.

The perforations 12 and 21 may be made before or after assembly with thebristle units 14 and 22. 'In either event the bristle unit should beperforated or otherwise weakened along the sameline in order thatseparation may be readily accomplished.

In FIGURE 5, I have illustrated a third embodiment in which a handleunit 30 is formed by folding card board upon itself as in the case ofFIGURE 1. The handle is perforated for separation as in FIGURE 1. Thebristle unit 31 is made up by cutting a triangular end portion 32 inresilient foam such as polyurethane foam and slitting along lines 33.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that I provide both aunique brush structure and a novel method of manufacturing such a brush.Accordingly, while I have illustrated and described certain preferredembodiments of my invention and method for its assembly, it will beunderstood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within thescope of the following claims.

I claim:

'1. A brush structure comprising an elongated selfsupporting foldablemember folded lengthwise to form a pair of divergent sides and each sidefolded into the original fold to form a V-shaped handle unit and anelongated bristle member fixed into the opening in the handle unit, saidhandle unit and bristle member being perforated transversely of thelength thereof into a multiplicity of readily separable handle memberseach carrying bristles.

2. A paint brush structure comprising an elongated self-supporting boxboard foldable member folded lengthwise to form a pair of divergentsides and each side folded with the free lengthwise edge resting intothe original fold to form a V-shaped handle unit and an elongatedbristle member fixed into the opening in the handle unit, said handleunit and bristle member being perforated transversely of the lengththereof into a multiplicity of readily separable handle members eachcarrying bristles.

3. A paint brush structure comprising an elongated selfsupportingfoldable box board member folded lengthwsie to form a pair of divergentsides and each side folded with the free lengthwise edge resting intothe original fold to form a V-shaped handle unit and an elongatedbristle member having individual bristles extending transversely of themember fixed into the opening in the handle unit with the bristlestransversely extending from said opening, said handle unit and bristlemember being perforated transversely of the length thereof into amultiplicity of readily separable handle members each carrying bristles.

4. A paint brush structure comprising an elongated selfsupportingfoldable box board member folded lengthwise to form a pair of divergentsides and each side folded into the original fold to form a V-shapedhandle unit and an elongated bristle member fixed into the opening inthe handle unit, said bristle member consisting of multiple elongatedlayers of paper slitted along one long edge, said slitted edge extendingout of the opening, said handle unit and bristle member being perforatedtransversely of the length thereof into a multiplicity of readilyseparable handle members each carrying bristles.

5. A paint brush structure comprising an elongated selfsupportingfoldable box board member folded lengthwise to form a pair of divergentsides and each side folded into the original fold to form a V-shapedhandle unit and an elongated bristle member fixed into the opening inthe handle unit, said bristle member consisting of multiple layers offilaments, woven together along one end to form a longitudinal edge,said woven edge being inserted and fixed in the opening, said handleunit and bristle member being perforated transversely of the lengththereof 3 into a multiplicity of readily separable handle members eachcarrying bristles.

6. A method of making a disposable paint brush structure comprising thesteps of forming an elongated selfsupporting foldable member, foldingsaid member lengthwise to form a pair of substantially equal divergentsides, folding each said side into the original fold to form a V- shapedhandle unit, forming an elongated bristle member having filaments woventogether at one end to form a longitudinal edge and free at the oppositeend to form bristles, inserting the longitudinal edge into the V-openingof the handle unit, fixing the edges of the opening to tie longitudinaledge and perforating the handle unit and longitudinal edge transverselyof the length thereof into a multiplicity of readily separable handlemembers each carrying bristles.

7. A paint brush structure comprising an elongated selfsupportingfoldable cardboard member folded lengthwise to form a pair of divergentsides and each side folded into the original fold to form a V-shapedhandle unit and an elongated bristle member fixed into the opening inthe handle unit, said bristle member consisting of an elongated sheet ofresilient foamed elastorner having a triangular edge slit transverselyto form side-by-side triangles along one edge, said slit edge extendingout of the opening of the handle member, said handle unit and bristlemember being perforated transversely of the length thereof into amultiplicity of readily separable handle members each carrying bristles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,265,274 Elliott Dec. 9, 1941 2,514,496 Jones et al July 11, 19502,864,115 Champlin Dec. 16, 1958

1. A BRUSH STRUCTURE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SELFSUPPORTING FOLDABLEMEMBER FOLDED LENGTHWISE TO FORM A PAIR OF DIVERGENT SIDES AND EACH SIDEFOLDED INTO THE ORIGINAL FOLD TO FORM A V-SHAPED HANDLE UNIT AND ANELONGATED BRISTLE MEMBER FIXED INTO THE OPENING IN THE HANDLE UNIT, SAIDHANDLE UNIT AND BRISTLE MEMBER BEING PERFORATED TRANSVERSELY OF THELENGTH THEREOF INTO A MULTIPLICITY OF READILY SEPARABLE HANDLE MEMBERSEACH CARRYING BRISTLES.